New Library System

The library team has some exciting news to share!

Physical Book Circulation

First and foremost, physical book circulation is returning! On July 27, 2020, we began circulating material held by Wiggin Library and I-Share. Due to COVID-19, our turn-around time will be slower due to reduced delivery schedules and the number of I-Share books will be limited until more libraries open up. Books from the Wiggin Library will be available to current students, alums, and community members. I-Share is only available to current students, faculty, and staff. While it may take a few days longer, circulation by mail will largely work the same as it did before. For local students, the physical library is still closed, but you can now schedule curbside pickup and drop-off on Mondays in front of the Spertus building. Email us at library@meadville.edu to schedule a time and date.

New Library System

The return of physical book circulation will coincide with some substantial changes to our online presence. As some of you may know, we have been working on migrating the library catalog to a new system. In the process of doing this, we have also built an entirely new library and archives website from the ground-up to make our resources easier to find and use.

Below are some of the major changes we have been working on:

• Passwords: For current students, you can throw away that little password cheat sheet we gave you! All library resources, including the online catalog, will now only require one login: your Populi login. No more trying to find your library barcode number or frantically trying to remember the JSTOR password the night before an assignment is due. Anytime you need a library resource that requires a Meadville Lombard ID, you will be automatically prompted to sign in with Populi. Once you sign in, it will send you to the resource. Alums and community users will have to request a special account at library@meaville.edu.
• Online Catalog: The print books you’re accustomed to are available again and can be mailed to your home. The biggest change, beyond the new user interface, is the addition of digital resources to the online catalog. Now, all of our tens of thousands of ebooks are discoverable and accessible through the catalog. To learn more about all aspects of using the new online catalog, we have created an instruction guide you can find here: https://meadville.libguides.com/using-catalog. There is also a guide for using ebooks that includes instructions for searching for ebooks in the catalog: https://meadville.libguides.com/using-ebooks.
• Articles and Journals: The main hub for articles and journals is now the Articles and Journals page (link above). Our main journal databases, Atla Religion Database and JSTOR, still function in much the same way. The biggest change is the sign in method, which is now your Populi account login. Wiggin Library is now also supporting two new article and journal digital resources: the Open Access Digital Theological Library (OADTL) and Google Scholar. The Open Access Digital Theological Library is a fantastic hub of open access theological research and historical documents. Google Scholar is an excellent gateway for interdisciplinary research. You will find guides on maximizing all these powerful tools on this page as well.
• Reference: Our reference page just doesn't just look different; we have added some new resources! We have three new resources: Oxford Premium Reference, Cambridge Companions, and Cambridge Histories. Oxford Premium Reference is a searchable database of two million entries from Oxford University Press' dictionaries, companions and encyclopedias. Cambridge Companions are similar to our Oxford and Routledge Handbooks, serving as authoritative guides written by leading experts on topics of religion and philosophy. And, you now have access to over 200 Cambridge Introductions. We also now offer digital access to the Cambridge History of Judaism (8 volumes), History of Christianity (9 volumes), and History of Islam (6 volumes) in addition to stand-alone volumes, such as the Cambridge History of Religions in Latin America.
• Course Reserves and MFC: Both course reserves and our MFC books will function the same way, but the interface is much improved. Each course will have its own page that provides links to check out print books and to access ebooks. For the MFC, we have created a more browsable and visual interface to select both print and ebook MFC books. Due to COVID-19, course reserves will temporarily circulate for four weeks instead of the normal three weeks.
• A-Z Resource List: The library team has gathered all of our digital library resources in one place. We have nearly 300 digital resources ranging from “Access to Insight—Readings in Theravada Buddhism” to “YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe.” They are searchable and organized according to topic, type, and sign-in requirements. Many of these are free to use and will be open not just to students, but alumni and community users.
• Archives: Due to COVID-19, we have been unable to add any new material to the digital archive. However, we have been working on making both our physical and digital collections easier to find and use. We will have more exciting archive news to share later this year!

If you have any questions, please email us at library@meadville.edu so we can assist. We are here to help!